Students participate in a Phlight Club retreat at Seeley Lake Elementary on May 22 by lifting their classmate Wyatt Stout in an activity meant to demonstrate that students can only "fly" when they are supported by others. Article and photo by Zoie Koostra from Seeley Swan Pathfinder.

A couple times a year, students in different parts of Prince of Wales Island are locked up together for three days. It’s PHlight Club, a program that aims to increase kids’ ability to cope with challenges, and improve their support system.

As the new school year begins, we have the opportunity to support youth in new ways and see them in full-color. Caring and connected adults (Anchors) can make a profound difference in the lives of youth. Here are some tips to support students in and outside of a school setting:

For Kris Devereaux, Chief Academic Officer, and her colleagues at Zionsville Community Schools in Indiana, strengthening the Social and Emotional competence of students throughout the district is a top priority. And they have invited Brightways Learning to help them reach their goals by implementing Kaleidoscope Connect’s Integrative Youth Development (IYD) framework.

That was the question youth advocate Derek Peterson explored as he spoke to more than 1,500 community members over two sessions Aug. 3 after meeting with educators, Zionsville Community Schools staff and selected students.